Sandwaves are frequently observed in estuaries, coastal regions and offshore on the continental shelf. The presence of sandwaves can pose specific challenges to subsea engineering projects. The migration and changing characteristics of sandwaves can influence the design bed level for a structure, present a hazard to navigation and expose pipelines and cables, increasing the risk of damage. This paper examines the current understanding of the behaviour of sandwaves in relation to the practicalities of cable laying operations. The three important questions in relation to cable laying operations are: 1.How deep must the cable be buried in order to avoid future re-exposure? 2.What rate of re-cover can be expected post trenching? 3.What survey data should be collected to assess this? These questions are addressed, some recommendations of the way to assess and account for the influence of sandwaves are made and some suggestions for further work are put forward to enhance the pre-operational planning.